Superfluous, Invisible, and Voiceless: Mapping Loneliness in Lygia Fagundes Telles’ Antes do Baile Verde

This thesis examines the subject of loneliness in Lygia Fagundes Telles’ short-story anthology Antes do Baile Verde (1970), focusing on how loneliness manifests in intimate relationships as a reflection of the authoritarian structure. Drawing on Hannah Arendt’s conception of loneliness as a political condition and Marilena Chauí’s analysis of Brazilian authoritarian social structure, the study understands loneliness not merely as an individual emotion but as a structural experience associated with an oppressive regime governed by domination, hierarchy, and exclusion. The research addresses three gaps in existing scholarship: 1) the limited attention to loneliness as an independent subject, 2) the lack of socio-political readings of Antes do Baile Verde, and 3) the neglect of the collection as a coherent whole. Through fieldwork and close readings of three short stories - “Os Objetos,” “Antes do Baile Verde,” and “O Menino” - the study presents a kaleidoscopic view of loneliness,...Show moreThis thesis examines the subject of loneliness in Lygia Fagundes Telles’ short-story anthology Antes do Baile Verde (1970), focusing on how loneliness manifests in intimate relationships as a reflection of the authoritarian structure. Drawing on Hannah Arendt’s conception of loneliness as a political condition and Marilena Chauí’s analysis of Brazilian authoritarian social structure, the study understands loneliness not merely as an individual emotion but as a structural experience associated with an oppressive regime governed by domination, hierarchy, and exclusion. The research addresses three gaps in existing scholarship: 1) the limited attention to loneliness as an independent subject, 2) the lack of socio-political readings of Antes do Baile Verde, and 3) the neglect of the collection as a coherent whole. Through fieldwork and close readings of three short stories - “Os Objetos,” “Antes do Baile Verde,” and “O Menino” - the study presents a kaleidoscopic view of loneliness, emphasising a different manifestation of loneliness in each story: superfluousness, invisibility, and voicelessness. Together, these manifestations highlight different forms of loneliness that permeate everyday domestic life, related to the principles of an authoritarian society.Show less

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Superfluous, Invisible, and Voiceless: Mapping Loneliness in Lygia Fagundes Telles’ Antes do Baile Verde